I Love You Too, By The Way
by funnygirltthatbelle
Summary: A short conversation between Belle and Adam between the kiss and the reunion with the servants. Because you know Adam would be excited more by Belle being in love with him than by the curse being broken. (Immediately follows the 2017 movie)


Belle and her Prince made their way from the west wing hand in hand, an eager smile fixed on the face of the former Beast. A soft, summer wind blew through the open windows, replacing the cold dampness that once enveloped the corridors of the castle, but the young couple was focused only on eachother. The two walked in a comfortable silence, content at last after a turbulent evening. But all was as it should; the beast was a prince, the castle was a glittering palace, and the servants were human once again. The Prince, Adam, had been desperate to see his servants in their celebration of the broken curse, but was now reluctant to end his moment alone with Belle.

"I love you too, by the way," Stuttered Adam, breaking the silence that had settled around them. As nervous as he was, he couldn't help the smile that reached across his face at the thought of Belle possibly being in love with him.

"I beg your pardon" Belle stopped, unsure of how this conversation had begun. Yes, Belle had admitted her feelings for Adam - and the kiss they had shared was proof enough of her devotion to him - but she was almost certain he had been unconscious when she had done so.

"I love you; that was the key to breaking the curse. I had to learn to love someone and earn their love in return. So unless there's an enchantress somewhere in France reversing curses because of a guilty conscience,"Adam turned toward Belle, brown eyes meeting blue, "for some reason you must love me."

"It was love." Belle looked down and muttered to herself, "Of course it was love! I can't believe I never thought of that. I honestly thought.. never mind it's not important"

"What?" He looked at her with concern in his eyes.

"I, now regrettably, may have told the servants that I thought it was you who had cursed them…" Belle trailed off, shame clouding her features as she brushed a hair off her face. She looked up to an offended but mildly amused Adam

"To be fair, it seemed more than possible at the time!" pleaded Belle, a small laugh shadowing the seriousness of her accusation. Adam smiled at her and laughed along, taking his hand in hers and continuing down the staircase toward the castle doors.

"Why wouldn't anyone tell me about the curse? I only wanted to help you, and I was almost too late. Oh my god, I was almost too late," Belle said, realizing the graveness of everything that had just occurred.

She stopped on the stairs and drooped down, while muttering, "You were dead, you were all dead and I couldn't do anything to help. Adam, I'm so sorry. I should never have left… I should have known.."

A sob started to build up in Belle's chest. If only she had gotten to the castle sooner, maybe they wouldn't have had to go through all of that.

"It's my fault, all of it. Gaston only came after you because he wanted to marry me. He saw you as a threat to get rid of. I should never have left and he never would have come! And you never would have gotten…" Another small sob overtook Belle and she was unable to sentence. Shot, he never would have gotten shot.

"Belle, look at me" he said as he crouched down on the stairs next to her, taking her chin in his hand and moving her to be eye level, "I'm here, the servants are alive, everyone is okay. Your father needed you, so, yes, you were right in leaving. In all honesty I should have set you free a long time ago."

Adam stopped and stared out the window adjacent to the staircase they had stopped on. He could see the servants out in the courtyard enjoying their humanity once again. He turned and looked at his love once again, wiping her tear off of her cheek.

"Belle, you have made me happier in these past months then I have been since my mother died. God forbid we had not broken the curse or you had not come back in time, I still would always cherish the thought that at one point someone didn't find me to be awful to spend time with. I could never tell you about the curse because I know that my Belle gives too much of herself to everyone else and I didn't want to put that burden on you. I knew you would feel obligated to break the curse and I never wanted that for you. I will regret trapping you here for the rest of my life, but I knew I wouldn't be able to trap you under that burden," Adam stared down, tears beginning to pool in his eyes.

"But it doesn't matter now! I'm Adam again, and you love me, and I have hands!" He added with a laugh while examine his still foreign appendages.

A smirk grew across Belle's face as she added, "And you can do this now."

Before Adam could process what Belle had just said, she leaned in closed the gap in between them with a kiss. It was slower and more thoughtful than their first, but still just as passionate. Belle ran her fingers through her Prince's hair, marveling at how the texture differed from the fur that he was once covered in. She pulled away breathless and stared into his eyes. His same eyes, the only thing that remained from her beast.

"I think that may be the best part" Whispered Adam.

Belle briefly thought of how ridiculous they must look. The Prince in an oversized tunic covered with blood stains, kissing a peasant girl in her undergarments on his staircase, all while both of them are openly weeping. The two lovers made eye contact, and open laughter broke through the tension in the air.

"God, I love you" Adam confessed, while never leaving Belle's gaze.

Belle's smile grew as she rose from the stair and grabbed his hand, pulling him toward the open door leading toward the castle's courtyard.

"And I love you too, by the way"


End file.
